Super Bowl LVIII has a 4K Problem

Super Bowl LVIII from Alleigant Stadium in Las Vegas will be broadcast by CBS, a network that has yet to support 4K streaming.

Detroit Lions vs. New York Jets

Time	Channel(s)
February 11, 2024 6:15 pm ET	CBS

Yes, we are already thinking about the Super Bowl, the biggest television event of the year, here at Streaming Stadium, and to cut to the chase, you cannot watch Super Bowl LVIII in 4K, at least not yet.

Last year’s Super Bowl, Super Bowl LVII, featured the Chiefs and Eagles live on FOX. NFL fans had a plethora of options for streaming the game in 4K because FOX has been committed to broadcasting its flagship live sporting events, like the World Series, NFL, and college football, in ultra high definition. Not only could football fans watch Super Bowl LVII with select cable, streaming, and satellite packages in 4K, the FOX app carried the game in 4K for supported devices as well.

CBS is another story, which leads me to the title of this blog post: Super Bowl LVIII has a 4K problem. With the game slated to air on CBS on February 11, 2024, there currently isn’t an option for watching the 2024 Super Bowl in 4K.

CBS has the rights to the 2024 Super Bowl

As part of the media rights deal signed by the NFL in 2022, CBS, FOX, and NBC will broadcast 3 Super Bowls over the next 11 years, and ABC will cover two Super Bowls.

FOX and NBC have strong, and growing, lineups of 4K live sports programming available with several cable, streaming, and satellite packages, but ABC and CBS have lagged behind.

CBS received a lot of criticism for its lack of 4K coverage of the AFC Championship game last season, but the lack of ultra high definition coverage was par for the course. CBS has never broadcast a pro or college football game in 4K, and they have had the TV rights to some of the biggest stages in football.

FOX is making CBS look bad

The NFL Playoffs are one of the most watched television events of the year, with the conference championships taking center stage for millions of viewers. CBS is the home of the AFC Championship game, and FOX has the rights to the NFC Championship. As these games are played back to back, sports fans are beginning to see the contrast between the picture quality of the CBS broadcast versus the FOX broadcast. As I referenced above, Twitter erupted last season when CBS didn’t carry the AFC Championship game in 4K, and the FOX broadcast was as clear as crystal.

How much longer can CBS afford to miss out on 4K streaming without harming its brand?

Only time will tell, and it’s still early. It’s possible CBS gets its act together for this year’s Super Bowl and offers a 4K option.

YouTube TV and Fubo lead the way with 4K live sports streaming

While NFL games can be streamed in 4K on YouTube TV with the 4K plus add-on, on the FOX Sports app, and with Fubo Elite, YouTube TV carries the largest 4K channel lineup of any streaming service because of the ability to stream ESPN in 4K.

Fubo Elite also carries a large selection of channels in 4K including: Big Ten Network, FS1, FOX, and NBC.